Paroissien’s in Paris

I have just had a very instructive lesson in transferring photos - I will cook dinner for david tonight!!
The top left photos is at the Blairgowrie backbeach a week ago - for those not familiar with Melbourne, Blairgowrie is where we have our beach house and is about 1-1/4 hours southeast of Melbourne.

The second photo is the weattle  - it is everywhere at the moment and is very indicative of the australian bush at this time of the year - we used to have Wattle Day at school but it’s only Macca on a sunday morning who remembers it now - signs of old age!!!

And the third photo is our back garden in winter - we are so pleased to see the lawn green again - it completely died off in summer due to the drought and we are still not allowed to water lawns so totally reliant on rain.     Even our shower water (bucketed out each day) can only be put on the garden.   It’s quite amazing how much water goes into the bucket while the water gets hot - and with a 4 minute timer on the shower wall, we have all become much more conscious of the water we use and waste.

It’s a glorious sunny day with brilliant blue skies  - 3.3 degrees this morning but promises to be 16 later on -
Au revoir
Barb

Well, we have been in Melbourne now for 3 weeks - left Paris in lovely hot weather, albeit a little humid, to arrive back to melbourne’s coldest winter for many years - but hey, we are not complaining, we have had some rain, the lawns are looking green again and the garden a lot healthier.    We can only hope for more rain as the dam is still only at 32% - not enough to sustain us through the summer.
David and Johanna have been looking after the house so well - there were flowers in the bedroom and everything tidied up - and so lovely to be back looking out at our garden.    The camellias are in full bloom, but the possums decided that my beautiful magnolia tree was the best place for a picnic each night, so we have seen very few flowers this year - last year we hung long coloured rubber snakes in the branches, but it didn’t seem to put the possums off at all!!!
 I was intending to put some photos up here, but the blog page has changed and my notes don’t allow for changes - I shall be in touch with Ben (my computer guru) shortly.

And we were so lucky to be here during the Olympic Games - what a feast of sport.  If we’d been in Europe we would only have had ekither commentary in French, or British events on BBC!!

Life has been very social - spent one day playing solo with my card playing group - all 12 of us there which is a rare event and lovely to catch up on everyone’s news.    Then mahjong one night, and a game of golf - in the rain!!      And lots of other breakfasts, lunches and dinners, and of course coffees with lots of friends.

We had a weekend at Blairgowrie - so peaceful, with long walks along the beach and a lovely dinner with friends who have a house in Portsea - we even played trivial pursuit with their young son  which was a challenge to the old brain - I like the Junion edition of trivial pursuit!!!

I  managed a Gadding about Melbourne tour which Maree had organised - to the Immigration Museum which had a beautiful exhibition of Japanese komino on display.
I leave for Paris tomorrow and a busy time with lots of friends visiting.   I have found 2 more museums which look fascinating and our plans for the next 3 months include a visit to the Amalfi coast with Jenny and amy for 6 days, travelling to St Ives in cornwall to visit Andrew and Beth and meet her family, and a trip to the somme in Northern France where my grandfather fought during WWI.      Ian will be doing some work in Madrid so hope to go for the weekend.

All in all our 3 weeks here have flown - we have enjoyed roast lamb and Ian’s special risotto, I have got our my knitting for the cold weather in Paris.   so now into countdown in Paris - so much to see and time will go quickly.

Next blog will be from Paris.

Au revoir
Barb

The Howies and Paroissiens in the Peak District - Derbyshire.

We have just had 4 days in the UK with our friends Iain and Yvonne Howie (Yvonne and I met when working in the UK in the 1960’s!!!)   We spent one day walking in the Peak District - around Derbyshire, just beautiful - see photo of our picnicing on the village green.     Then off to the north coast of Norfolk near The Wash, where they have a caravan - what a beautiful area - lots of farming country and of course much fishing along the coast. 

We continue to be amazed with our life in Paris.   Everyone had said that it’s firstly, very hot and humid in August - which it is so far, and secondly, that everyone leaves.
What an understatement.    Every second shop in our small residential area is closing for 2 or 3 weeks, and the other shops are renovating - quite incredible.      all our favourite cafes are closed down - and the sales have finished -
so nothing else for it, we are leaving too - but only back to Melbourne for 3 weeks for visas etc.  (And it’s 13 degrees there - what a challenge)

But this morning, having finished the packing - including a new set of beautiful stackable saucepans with detachable handles and a stunning bed quilt - what’s an extra suitcase or two!!.    we walked down to the Boulangerie for some lunch and then decided to walk further towards to Eiffel tower and have a look at the gardens of the Musee du Quai Bramly.
Well, what a wonderful surprise - whilst the gardens are quite lovely, the museum itself is stunning.   This is the museum for the arts of Africa,  Asia, Oceania and the Americas, and what a marvellous collection. It is apparently one of the four biggest museums in Paris.    Today, being the first sunday of the month, entry was free - such a great idea as it allows everyone the opportunity to visit world class museums.   However it was of course busy, and as we hadn’t expected to being going in, we had a quick look and will go back in September for a proper explore.

And with August in full swing, la Plage (the beach) has opened along the River Seine - I may have mentioned this last blog - sorry.  It is so amazing to see girls in bikins on sunlounges along the river bank - and they even have fine water sprays to cool people down, although it drives the motorists and taxis mad as they close off some roads!!

And another lovely surprise - Adele Johnston, the daughter of Liz and Wayne, friends from Lae, PNG days was visiting
Paris  and stayed with us for a day.     Haven’t seen her since she was a little girl - so lovely to see all our children grown up.    We did a walk up the Avenue de Champs Elysees (after the Eiffel tower of course) and then walked up the 290 steps to the top of the Arc de Triomphe with it’s marvellous view right down to the Louvre and the cartwheel of 2 roads - so many wonderful icons to see here.    a bit drizzly and windy, but with an umbrella, what does it matter.

And our Andrew has redeemed himself with the local cricket team of St Ives in cornwall.    He didn’t do too well in his first match so it was with much trepidation that Ian sent him a text on Sat. afternoon - whew and wow - he had taken 5 wickets off 12 overs for 42 runs - England may well be needing him shortly!!!

I have just finished a most beautiful book The Book Thief - sad but uplifting.   If you see it in the bookshop and it jumps out at you, then read it, it’s lovely.

We have just picked up a booklet called The Paris Insider’s Guide - and it has a list of burglars marks!!! - more on that next time, it’s quite fascinating.

So au revoir for now - next time from Melbourne - and it’s been raining too - hooray
Barb